James Arthur's debut album is finally here, but the X-Factor winner appears to have criticised his label for production schedule.
James Arthur has suggested that being forced to work with multiple producers on his self-titled debut album affected the degree of creativity he had on the record. The 25-year-old, who won the ninth series of The X-Factor and scored the second biggest hit in the show's history with 'Impossible' - revealed at a signing at HMV Oxford Street that he couldn't "build up a rapport" with collaborators.
James Arthur, Drinking A Tea
"I worked with several producers in America and several here, and for my next record I certainly won't be doing that," he told Digital Spy. "It's not conducive to being creative; it takes a couple of days to build up a rapport with a producer and then after that you're on to the next one.
"That f**ks up your creativity, so that's the only hindrance I've had on this record. But I knew there was going to be a lot of fathers on this record, but it's my debut. Next time I want to only work with one or two producers."
Arthur worked with TMS, Salaam Remi, Naughty Boy, Da Internz, Mojam, Tiago Carvalho, Steve Robson, Mike Dean, Biffco which is, frankly, ridiculous.
"I'm still developing my sound as a major label artist," he said. "I had a style before I was signed, but now I'm developing my commercial sound as well as trying to strike a balance between authentic music and music that the masses will love. I'll be really interested to hear how it's received."
Arthur appears to be more talented, marketable and relevant in the pop market than the likes of Matt Cardle, though the Middlesbrough-born singer will know all too well the disappointment felt by previous X-Factors winners who were dropped by Cowell's label.
The Artwork for James Arthur's Debut Album
The critics appear to have picked up on Arthur's stunted creativity, with The Guardian's Hermione Hoby being as Guardianish and she possibly could and suggesting, "In this debut contractual obligation to Simon Cowell, X Factor winner James Arthur sounds exactly like an X Factor winner. That is, unsubtle, unrelentingly emoting and singing every phrase with what sounds like that constipated, really-really-meaning-it face."
The Independent was a little more insightful, identifying that "there's also enough here to make clear that Arthur is no mere steed in the Syco stable," and adding, ""New Tattoo", "Recovery", "Suicide", "Smoke Clouds". the titles alone tell you that this young man is not going to be stepping on Olly Murs's toes any time soon."
James Arthur by James Arthur is out now.